Someone Who Eats Heart

Never Offer Your Heart to Someone Who Eats Heart by Alice Walker

Never offer your heart
to someone who eats hearts
who finds heart meat
delicious
but not rare
who sucks the juices
drop by drop
and bloody-chinned
grins
like a God.

Never Offer your heart
to a heart gravy lover.
Your stewed, overseasoned
heart consumed
he will sop up your grief
with bread
and send it shuttling
from side to side
in his mouth like bubble gum.

If you find yourself
in love
with a person
who eats hearts
these things
you must do:
Freeze your heart
immediately.
Let him-next time
he examines your chest—
find your heart cold
flinty and unappetizing.
Refrain from kissing lest he in revenge
dampen the spark
in your soul.

Now,
sail away to Africa
where old women
await you
on the shore-
long having practiced the art
of replacing hearts
with God and Song.